Friday, June 28, 2013

Boettger retiring

We have what looks like our first flat out legislative retirement for next year (not counting all the people running for other jobs). The Nonpariel, my favorite newspaper name, reports that Republican Senator Nancy Boettger of Harlan is stepping down in Senate District 9.

Boettger is one of the most senior Republicans, first elected in 1994. She got paired up in the last redistricting cycle, and mostly on James Seymour's turf, but he stepped down and she held over. Now she won't need to work those new counties.

Not that it matters much since this west Iowa turf, while not blood red, is pretty solidly Republican: Harrison, Monona, Ida, most of Crawford, and some rural bits of east Woodbury. Boettger hadn't seen an opponent since 2002.

The real action will be in the GOP primary. Both representatives - Matt Windschitl and Jason Schultz - are young and both won their seats by being the more conservative contender in a contested primary. Windschitl knock off in incumbent in a primary and Schultz squeezed one into retiring, so both no guts no glory kind of guys. If either or both runs, this ripples into primaries for House 17 and/or 18.

UPDATE: Didn't take long. Schultz announces, Denison Republican Steve Holt announces in House 18 at what looks like a joint event. This must have been in the works for a while.